Meet Cheree Berry

For all of you fellow Martha Stewart stalkers, you will probably be familiar with this eye-candy filled wedding. For those who aren't, meet Cheree Berry's wedding! Cheree Berry is one of my personal wedding crushes, and you can probably understand why from her wedding; her enormous attention to detail and design combined with her innovative approach to stationery makes her work unique and timeless. Formerly a stationer for Kate Spade, Berry now designs her own incredibly popular line of stationery, and her website is chock full of delectable designs sure to make you drool a bit ( www.chereeberry.com ).

Red and Blue Inspiration: Etsy Tuesday

Pleated Collar Dress from AmandaArcher

Moroccan Save the Date from Cheerupcherup

Bird cage fascinator from 10eisha

Red Velvet Mini Cupcakes from TabbyCat13

Ok, these shoe slips might not be red or blue, but I still absolutely love them! So adorable!

Shoe Clips by bpoetic

Monogram Pocketfol Invite from beyonddesign

It's Tuesday yet again! Man how the days are just flying by! I am saying farewell to my favourite month August and hesitantly embracing September by featuring a more autumn inspired palette for this etsy Tuesday collection.

A lot of people choose to get married in late September/October because let's face it, the summer weekends book up FAST! Not to mention there's something very enticing and romantic about a crisp fall wedding. The one thing that does drive me a little bonkers with fall weddings, however, is the abundance of "fall colours" like orange, brown and red. Sure, these colours look stunning when falling from a beautiful maple in the heart of Ontario... but for your wedding? Not so much. So I say, if you're getting married in the fall, make use of all of the gorgeous colours that one might not use in the bright summer months. Take your cues from the fashion world, and incorporate dazzling jewel tones like purple, cobalt, emerald and red. Make a statement with your wedding that doesn't just say "I'm having a fall wedding". For this post I sourced out red and navy handcrafted items, but I also really love peacock colours for fall. What are your favourite fall colour combinations?

Juicy Inspiration: An Ode to Summer

Images from CUSTOM EVENT GROUP,Kristin Vining Photography,Lisa Lefkowitz,Lisa Lefkowitz,Oh How Charming!,Jose Villa Photography,Oh How Charming!,Oh How Charming!,Lisa Lefkowitz,Lisa Lefkowitz

I know the weather stays nice into September, but the end of August has always meant the end of summer for me, most likely due to residual "back to school" emotions.

The end of summer also means the end of the busiest part of my wedding season, which is a bit sad (the planning part, of course never ends!).

Anyways, in celebration of summer I've created this juicy inspiration board for you to enjoy. Perfect for a flirty wedding, an exciting engagement party, or even just an end-of-summer bbq, these colours are sure to make your mouth water! And if you remember an earlier blog where I poo-pooed "in your face" colourful weddings, I was only referring to weddings where the colour is not done right at all. There is definitely a "right" way to do colour, and I think the above board is a perfect example!

Circus Cowboy

All images from Oh So Beautiful Paper courtesy of Wiley Valentine.

Oh how the bloggers over at Oh So Beautiful Paper are after my own heart. Thank god there are people in the world who are more paper obsessed than I am, because frankly I was starting to feel a bit crazy. The new feature on OSBP is too die for. This stunning baby announcement set was designed by Wiley Valentine, and was inspired by a popcorn bag from Trader Joe's (Trader Joe, who are you? And why aren't you in Canada? I have a feeling we would be really great friends!).

I am currently wrapped up in a whirl wind romance with all things "Circus Cowboy". I call this Circus Cowboy, because the design elements are laid out like an old fashioned circus poster, and the fonts used are generally called "Cowboy something or another". I guess the fonts are interchangeably Circus or Western, and since they are generally from the same era I feel completely comfortable merging the two (sorry if I've offended any stationary gods using incorrect terminology!). I also give credit to the one and only Britney Spears and her Circus tour for bringing Circus Cowboy to the forefront of stationary design. Thanks Brit Brit!

Another of my favourite blogs is also featuring a backyard western style baby shower that incorporates some Circus Cowboy. Check out the post on Hostess with the Mostess.

Terrific Templates!

Photographic Scavenger Hunt Card for the kiddies from Martha Stewart

Placecards from Martha Stewart

Sparkler Holders and MatchBox Wraps from Twig and Thistle on Style Me Pretty

Favour boxes from Twig and Thistle on Style Me Pretty

Vintage Save the Date on Wedding Chicks

Printable treat bags on iDiy

Apocathy Labels and more on iDiy

Green Templates from ELuckyMe

I guess you could say I'm sort of a paper princess. I love love love pretty papers and printed materials. I think they are THE best thing you will do for your wedding/shower/party, as they make the biggest impact for the smallest investment. There are loads and loads of free templates on the web, and with a little customization and a trip to Kinko's you pretty much have an insta-party. I've rounded up some of my favourite templates for you, and in case you're wondering what they can be used for- well let's just say pretty much anything. Want a list? I thought so. Here it goes:

~Save the Dates

~Invitations

~Thank You cards

~Favour Labels

~Favour Tags (Yes, these are different than labels! Labels are usally attached, tags hang off a ribbon)

~Napkin Wraps

~Candle Wraps

~Cupcake Wraps

~Signs: Welcome, Candy Buffet, Washrooms, Just Married

~Programs

~Menus

~Place Cards

~Escort Cards

~Guest Book

~Fans

~Colouring Books

Those are just a few, but I'm sure you can think of more ways to use your templates! Just one word of caution- as magical and wonderful as it all may seem, DIY templates do take a lot of time to customize, print, cut, and assemble, so a word to the wise: only DIY a select number of projects and what you don't have the time or creativity for, leave to the professionals ;)

August Invitation Inspiration and Etsy Tuesdays

All invitations design credit: Enfin La Voila

Yes, I know, I already posted on invitations last month, but I just love stationary so much that I cannot stop! I have decided to post a monthly feature on my favourite paperie of the month, because I truly believe that your stationary helps set the tone for your wedding and really helps when narrowing down colour schemes and themes. It's also "etsy Tuesday" so I get to kill two birds with one stone!

This month I am IN LOVE with designer Marijke Janssens of Enfin La Voila out of Belgium. Her designs are so unique, so creative, so vintage, so classic, so completely and utterly amazing that it's so hard to stop saying "So". Ok, I'll stop, but hopefully you get the point how truly enamored I am with these designs (hint hint Mom- stationary set for Christmas please?)

I was introduced to Enfin La Voila by an etsy-addicted friend (sorry M, you know you are!) after she ordered a sample set of the peonie suite (pictured top). I was blown away by how gorgeous the samples were- the colours, the design, the shimmery paper. For a second I contemplated getting married again just so I could use her stationary, but I quickly shook my head and realized that's not a good reason to dump my husband whom I adore (hmm, I'm thinking baby announcements instead?).

Anyhoo, if you don't believe me or the truly stunning pictures you see before your eyes, you can order a complete sample suite for about $5 plus s/h. I'm not going to lie, these invites will cost you a very pretty penny, so if you don't have a large amount allocated to your stationary, then maybe don't order the sample because it just might make you a teensy weensy bit depressed. You CAN, however, take the gorgeous vintage detailing and burst of colours and use these invites as inspiration for your own stationary or wedding theme (inspiration is always free!)

Oh how I heart pink and grey!

Source: Weddings and the City

Photo credit: Amy Squires

Below: TopMax ruffle dress, Romeo & Juliet Couture Flapper Style dress.

Nothing quite gets my heart racing like a pretty pink and grey wedding. I'm not going to lie, if I could choose my wedding colours all over again, this is what I would do. I love how it so elegantly fuses the masculine and feminine, the industrial and the delicate. Grey may have been dubbed the new neutral, but it will forever be a favourite of mine, regardless of passing trends. It is charming yet practical(really, what bridesmaid wouldn't LOVE you for selecting one of these gorgeous dresses above that they definitely WILL wear again), and it pairs so perfectly with any shade of pink. I think the colours make for a gorgeous combo, and best of all they showcase your wedding without over-doing it (no orange, fuschia, purple and teal weddings for me!)

The Rustic Vintage Chic Wedding

After coming home from a venue meeting at a quaint bed and breakfast, and then drooling over the beautiful photos from the "Rustic Chic" real wedding on www.StyleMePretty.com, I was inspired to post on rustic chic myself!

I have been seeing more and more sophisticated farmhouse style weddings in bridal magazines and wedding blogs, and it's such a nice breath of fresh air! I love that the bride and groom are able to really personalize their wedding through elements such as chalkboard signs, homemade favours, and rustic vintage decor. We're so used to seeing glitz and glamour in the wedding industry that it's nice to see a more fun and laid-back approach to wedding receptions.

One of my best friends is getting married soon, and her wedding quite simply takes the cake when it comes to defining rustic chic with a dash of vintage. A farm house ceremony followed by games of bocci served with old fashioned soda bottles and popcorn will start the day off. The reception will carry on the theme with gorgeous flower arrangements in mason jars, and favours of jam and olive-oil soap hand-made by the groom himself (where did she find this supergroom? Handmaking favours is only one of his many amazing qualities!). These are just a few of the personal touches that will make this wedding THE wedding of the year, but I don't want to spoil all of the greatness that this wedding will be.

One of my favourite features of a rustic-vintage-chic wedding is the many possibilities for reception venues. A farmhouse with classic picnic tables, a lakeside rental property, or a quaint B&B supply you with endless reception ideas. Tying this all back into my venue tour at a local B&B, you are often provided with many, many amenities that you wouldn't find elsewhere. At this specific location you get ALL of the following included in your package: 2 guest rooms, 1 honeymoon suite, a very sizable bridal room for hair/makeup, a kids-babysitting room, access to the 2.5 acres for any guests to pitch a tent for the night or to park their RV, access to set-up reception the day before, a snack and refreshments for guests after the ceremony, bring in your own liquor and bartender for cost-savings, golf cart shuttle around property, reasonably priced fully catered meal including all tables & linens (even chair covers!), a midnight snack for guests, a vintage 1960's ivory Mercede's roadster for photos, and they will even let you bring your own food in the night before for your rehearsal dinner to barbeque provided you clean everything up. There are even more little perks associated with this venue but I just can't list them all.

Ironically, the wedding I was scouting the location for isn't even a rustic-vintage-theme at all! It just definitely got the wheels turning in my head for inspiration. The bonus of such versatile venues like said B&B, however, is that you really can do just about anything!

(Photo Sources: Style Me Pretty and Project Wedding)

"When we’re two balloons, and together our direction is up, chances are we’ve found the right person." - Richard Bach

Big White Wedding Balloons shot by Boutwell Studio http://cheninboutwell.com/

Pink Balloon Engagement Session by Jennifer Causey www.jennifercausey.com/weddings/

Balloons flying away Engagement Shoot by Jessica Johnston www.jessica-johnston.com/blog/

Yellow Balloon Engagement Shoot by Erin Hearts Court http://www.erinheartscourt.com/

I am ridiculously obsessed with balloons. Completely and utterly in love. No, not the cheesy balloons you find floating by yards of curly ribbon at a child's birthday emblazoned with the message "Happy 9th Birthday!". No, these balloons are much less complex. These balloons, are, well, balloons. Not just balloons, but plain old balloons photographed by some of the most amazing talent out there. I love how something so juvenile, so commonplace, and so inexpensive can be made to look ethereal and whimsical.

Any fans of the incomparable blog www.StyleMePretty.com will probably be familiar with the photos above. I guess I'm not the only one with a new little crush on inflated balls of latex. Of course I'm also over the moon for fabulous photography, so I guess that helps out too.

The last photo, you can probably tell, was taken with my iPhone of a page in a 2007 issue of Brides magazine (or I think it was Brides). I was sitting in the hair salon under the dryer and came across this photo. I love pink, and I love balloons, so it was quite a feat to resist ripping the page out of the magazine. I've been toying with the idea of doing a small photoshoot to get a professional photo for my website, and as of this moment, this photo will be my inspiration. Well, without the wedding dress and sultry facial expression of course!

(Photo source: All of the above photos, less the last one, can be found on www.stylemepretty.com or from the photographers listed above.)